His tranquillity enraged me, but I managed to answer him: "If you drive a hoof off you will have to defend your action against richer men than I."
"Well, I'll take my chances. It would cost them piles of money, and they would gain nothing then," he said. "Say, officer, hadn't you better begin?"
"Gotsh any papersh to prove objection?" demanded that individual, turning to me. And I took no pains to hide my disgust as I answered: "If I had I should not trouble to show them to you."
Steel, however, broke in: "We have. I'll show you a receipt for so many beasts to be fattened for Roland Adams."
"Whersh you keep them?" demanded the other.
"Where you won't find them; 'way back on the prairie," Steel answered triumphantly.
It was a blunder, for the other, who had a little shrewdness left, straightened himself. "Then all the beastsh heah belong to someone else," he said, with a tipsy leer, and waved his hand to the rest. "No papersh worth a shent. Whasher foolin' for? We'll just walk into the stable."
Several men sprang from their saddles, but Steel reached the door ahead of them, and stood with his back against it, swinging a great birch staff. "Nobody comes in here," he said.
I was at his side the next moment with a keen hay-fork, and the men halted in a semi-circle at the sight of our grim faces.
"These points will reach anybody within six feet," I said.